Are you wondering how to move out with a baby? Moving house with children is stressful enough, but when you add a toddler or infant to that task, it may seem impossible. You have worries of how to manage your time, packing the wrong things when you might still need them, and how to maintain the safety of your child while you’re busy.

But what if we told you it doesn’t need to be that hard? That’s right, there’s no need to worry and figure out things for yourself because Bassy’s Removals have the perfect advice for you. In this article, we’ll go over 7 crucial tips for moving house with a baby.

Does Moving House Affect Babies?

Before we get into our tips, let’s discuss ‘does moving house affect babies?’ The answer? Yes. It’s important to keep a routine as much as possible. Not just for your child, but for you too. Try not to wake or feed your baby at random times if they already have a set routine. However, we understand it can be very difficult to keep even a basic routine sometimes.

Your daily routine could be as simple as thinking, ‘I am going to pack one kitchen box after dinner while trying to be quiet.’ Others may prefer a written plan forcing them to efficiently work, but as long as you don’t interrupt your child’s routine and ease them into the new space, everything will be okay.

1. Create a Moving House Checklist
   

   A moving house checklist will be your ultimate guide throughout this stressful time. We welcome you to use our own checklist and adapt it to suit your needs.

   Here’s a quick summary of our moving house checklist:

   • Choose a moving company (hint, hint) and confirm dates
   • Declutter before you pack (try not to dispose of anything)
   • Buy packing equipment
   • Hire a cleaning company (don’t let this stress you out — just hire a cleaning crew)
   • Pack a survival bag for every family member
   • Sort utilities
   • Change addresses
   • Tell everyone (government, friends, family, workplace, etc)
   • Join the local dentist and GP practice ASAP
   • Arrange baby/pet-sitting for packing and moving day

2. Take Time Off Work to Pack
   

   When moving house with children, you may have the afternoon or even weekend to pack alone while they are on play-dates with friends. But when moving house with a baby, this course of action is impossible. Instead, we encourage you to take leave while your child is at nursery, or ask a friend or family member to look after your baby for the day.

   It could potentially be more difficult packing with a baby, especially if they’re at the crawling or walking stage because they’ll be less controllable. Not only will your packing session be interrupted with regular feeds and changes, it could add to the stress of having to multitask and take much longer to complete.

3. Pack Baby Essentials in One Place
   

   Similar to your own necessities, you should pack all the baby items in one place, regardless of whether you think you’ll need them or not, and pack a survival bag for them. You likely already know the troubles of needing extra clothes in case of spillages and extra food for when they’re hungry, but what else do you need?

   Here’s our list of essentials when moving house with a baby:

   • Wipes
   • Nappies
   • Extra clothing
   • Blanket
   • Highchair or bouncy seat
   • Favourite blanket or toy
   • Extra toys
   • Formula and food
   • Sippy cups or bottles
   • Potentially a breast pump and cooler
   • Extra dummies
   • Stroller and carrier/car seat
   • Toiletries (toothpaste/brush if necessary, lotion, bath products, etc)
   • Garbage bags for dirty clothes and items
   • Potential medications, first aid kit, and thermometer

   

4. Keep Baby Out of the House
   

   This one is a given, but you shouldn’t underestimate the importance. Again, keeping your baby in the house while packing may cause unnecessary stress to you, but also to them because you’re breaking their routine. Not only this, but they may start wandering off to have their own little adventure.

   As we all know, children are very curious about their surroundings. If they see something they haven’t discovered yet, whether that’s a mug full of coffee or a plant in an open box, they are going to reach for it. Unfortunately, accidents do happen even when your baby is right in front of you, but keeping them away sees nothing gets broken and no one is injured.

5. Safety Is Key
   

   If you absolutely cannot enlist help for your child, then you need to find a way to pack without getting in each other’s way. You could keep them in a separate room and tend to them when needed as the safest option, but this could worsen both yours and their mood by being separated when you’re in the same place.

   Or, you could always have them join in on the process. Packing should always be as fun as possible, and while you will need to keep an extra eye on the little one, you could integrate playtime by introducing new (safe) items for them to pack themselves.

   If these don’t work for you, then we suggest having them do what they always do when they’re with you, but just prolong the packing process and start packing earlier. Ensure that your current house is still baby-proofed, and they have plenty of space and things to distract them while you pack.

6. Unpack Baby Essentials First
   

   When we say ‘baby essentials,’ we really mean the entire room. Going back to keeping a routine, while you need to ease them into the space, this does not apply to their room. Your new house may look like a jungle of boxes to them when first arriving and they may feel unsettled by the whole situation, including travelling.

   As soon as you enter your new home, place the crib, changing table, decorations, toys, and other items how they previously were to give your baby a sense of comfort. At least one familiar surrounding will make them feel comfortable, like a safe place you can take them to if unpacking the rest of the house is overwhelming to them.

7. Baby-Proof House Beforehand
   

   When moving house with a baby, you should baby-proof your new home before you move in or at least the same day. It’ll only take a few extra seconds for you to unpack your potentially dangerous items when moving a hook that keeps your child protected, but this in turn, makes a huge difference for them.

   Think this way, if you unpack your kitchen first and they have to be in the house while doing so, they are at risk of easily opening cupboards and hurting themselves. And once they’ve seen the insides of one cupboard, they’ll start going for them all.

   Not to mention, it’s easier to check everything is baby-proofed before the cupboards are filled in case your child tries to grab something.

   
   We hope these tips for moving house with a baby have helped you conquer your fear of moving and will support your organisation moving forward. Making these efforts, you will soon find peace in your new home.

   Now that you know how to move out with a baby, have a read of our more general moving house blog. Once you’re prepared for the journey ahead, contact our team today to arrange your move.

   Bassy’s Removals have partnered with the Big Yellow Self Storage Company to help you store items that don’t fit in your home. Alternatively, we can support with packing, and are fully insured to move furniture, antiques, and musical instruments.